What are co-ops and can they save you money?
I love the odd cooperative. Not just because I think they’re genuinely successful programs that benefit all, but also because they’re just so old school. They reek of a time before Communism was the dirty thing you’re uncle might have once done. Some coops have become mainstream, and look just like any other venture. Others, like the food coop living somewhere in the basement of my university, maintain an air of rebellion about them. There’s something about descending into the pit of a tall building that feels so illicit.
Rebellious yearnings aside, cooperatives are fine institutions that deserve to be lauded. In a sentence, they’re not-for-profit programs where products are sold. Because they’re being sold for no profit, the items are significantly cheaper if you’re a member. All money is then fed back into the organisation to continue to purchase items and cover overheads. Simple, but brilliant.
The underpinning idea is that to buy wholesale is significantly cheaper than to buy in a store. The most established coop in Sydney is the Coop bookstore. It’s a $20 fee to join for life (I’m sorry, did you say $20 for life? Cheapskate Queen over here perks up her ears and quickly calculates that if I live until I’m 80, that’ll be a membership fee of 33 cents a year) and then you can buy books at significantly lower prices than is on the sticker.
And to be honest, there’s no real catch. All books available in a usual bookstore are available here. Because there are a lot of students who get in on the action, you’ll also be able to track down some lesser known titles you’ve always wanted to own, such as Gender Doesn’t Exist: Why Men and Women are Ideas of the Matrix or the well-loved classic, Foucault: An Alien?
The other major cooperative in Australia are food coops. A good guide of where you can track down a food coop near you can be found here.
So do they save you money? They most certainly do, even if it is only a couple of dollars here and there. And a coop doesn’t need to be something that can only function in a store. Groups of friends who buy wine in bulk to lower the prices are running a coop, albeit a private one. It would seem like a complex process, setting up the links to a wholesaler to save a bit of money, but eventually you could end up saving a fair amount of money. So in case any of you want to get in on the action from your own homes, I’ve written a brief guide:
Step 1
Don a beret, tie a scarf around your neck and try and source some Cuban cigars. Looking as bolshie as possible is apparently necessary if you would like to be involved in a coop. Showering is optional.
Step 2
Gather a group of like-minded people around you, and discuss what you would like to buy. Toothpaste in bulk, a monopoly in mandarins, whatever. The Wholesale World is your oyster.
Step 3
Source the items. Call a few wholesalers and discuss what you would like to do. Work out the logistics- who will pick up the items and when. Usually you’ll need a roster, but it’s a lot less hassle than constant trips to Coles or the bottle-o.
Step 4
Distribute and enjoy. Remember, berets may not be removed at any time, and anyone seen without tie-dyed apparel will be immediately expelled.
Are you involved in any cooperatives?
What other cooperatives have you heard about or joined?
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